Fun Way to Stay Cool in the Summer: GW’s Vern Pool

As you might know, summers in DC can be quite humid and hot, reaching the upper 90s and lows 100s at times. And personally, my perfect temperature is the 70s range, otherwise I get hot. My motto is that if its above 80 degrees and I am outside, I need to be within reach of a pool. Although I do enjoy swimming in cooler temperatures as well (hey, I'm from Wisconsin, I can handle a little cold). My friends often call me crazy because I can comfortably go to the pool and tan when it is only 65 degrees outside (which is what I did over Christmas break in Florida this past December), but that has not been the case this summer in DC. In fact, these last few months, the temperature has rarely dropped below 85 degrees! So, in the beginning of the summer, on the weekends when I had free time (since I intern and have class during the week), I frequently hit up the Mount Vernon campus pool. Unfortunately, since then I haven’t had much free time to go and work on my tan.

The pool is free for GW students and members of the community can pay for a membership. All others must purchase a membership. And let me tell you, every time I've gone, it has been crowded. Everyone has had the same idea as me to escape the summer heat. After all, it is a very nice, quite large pool, supervised by lifeguards, so why wouldn't people al flock towards it? It was a godsend for me since I am used to spending countless summer days around my pool back home.

It was funny, the first time I went this summer, my friends and I all had on our suits, sunglasses, and were carrying our towels and some tourists walking through campus passed us and asked "where's the beach? or even the pool?" Little did they know that all you have to do is take the Vern Shuttle to the other campus and don't forget your towel and sunscreen!

Feel free to email me with any questions! cbgraf@gwmail.gwu,edu

-Christie